KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Australia has temporarily paused applications from Malaysians seeking their first Work and Holiday visa under subclass 462.
Australia’s ABC News reported yesterday that Malaysia is among 24 countries — almost all under visa stream — whose applications have been paused.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke reportedly said the visas were “being processed more slowly than they were previously”, but did not give further details on the change.
The subclass 462 visa allows eligible Malaysians aged 18 to 30 to spend 12 months in Australia for short-term work and study, with Malaysia allocated an annual grant cap of 1,100 places.
The cap reportedly applies only to first subclass 462 visas, while second and third Work and Holiday visas are not subject to country quotas.
According to the report, Australia’s Department of Home Affairs said a country’s applications may be paused to spread lodgements throughout the programme year, when the country is close to reaching its annual grant cap, or to support the government’s broader migration settings.
The department reportedly did not say which of these reasons applies specifically to Malaysia.
Home Affairs reportedly said paused caps will reopen later in the same programme year and advised prospective applicants to monitor its website for changes.
ABC also reported that some people who had already lodged working holiday visa applications in early July were still awaiting decisions by mid-August amid slower processing.
Experts interviewed by ABC suggested the slowdown could be linked to Australia’s wider efforts to manage net overseas migration.
